Multi-person racing canoe

ABSTRACT

A multi-person racing canoe that can be assembled in sections to make different canoe configurations for different numbers of people. When the sections are disassembled, they pack for storage and/or transportation. A particular embodiment of the present invention uses a common tail section with an optional middle section and different bow sections to configure as a 2-man, 4-man or 6-man racing canoe. The sections can be coupled to form the various configurations with a rhino horn-shaped fastener. An outrigger or AMA can be mounted at several different positions fore and aft in the different configurations.

This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/166,767 filedJun. 24, 2005. Application Ser. No. 11/166,767 is hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of racing canoesand more particularly to a racing canoe that splits apart into two,three or more sections.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Racing canoes are known around the world and particularly in the PacificIslands such as Hawaii. Most racing canoes have a single long narrowhull with an outrigger on one side. Racing canoes have been made for 2,4 and 6 or more persons. Prior art racing canoes for different numbersof persons typically are made different sizes. A canoe for 6 personssimply must be longer than a canoe for 2 persons.

It would be advantageous to have a racing canoe that comes apart insections for storage and transportation where the different sections canbe assembled in several different ways to produce racing canoes fordifferent numbers of people. In particular, it would be advantageous tohave a single racing canoe that can be assembled in sections to producea 2-man, 4-man or 6-man racing canoe as desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a racing canoe that can be assembled insections to make different canoe configurations for different numbers ofpeople. When the sections are disassembled, they pack for storage and/ortransportation. A particular embodiment of the present invention uses acommon tail section with an optional middle section and different bowsections to configure as a 2-man, 4-man or 6-man racing canoe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the presentinvention assembled as a 2-man, 4-man and 6-man racing canoe.

FIG. 2 is an exploded drawing of a 6-man configuration showing details(not to scale).

FIG. 3 is a top-down view of the common tail section, the mid-sectionand the 4-man/6-man bow section.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a broken apart section of the deck, I-beamstringer and hull.

FIGS. 5A-5C are side views of the 2-man, 4-man and 6-man configurationsshowing locations of the seats and IAKU ports.

FIG. 6A is a detail of the rhino horn-like insert fastener.

FIG. 6B is a detail of the foot-well and the stringer I-beam.

FIG. 6C shows a rhino horn-like fastener inserted into a chamber.

FIG. 7 is a break-apart view of the I-beam stringer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a racing canoe that can be assembled insections to produce different canoes for different numbers of persons.An example of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1where a single tail section, a mid-section, two different bow sectionsand an outrigger (AMA) allow the canoe to be assembled as a 2-man, 4-manor 6-man racing canoe. The 2-man configuration directly attaches thetail section to a 2-man bow section. The 4-man configuration directlyattaches the tail section to a longer 4-man/6-man bow section. The 6-manconfiguration uses the tail section and the 4-man/6-man bow section witha mid-section.

The struts (called IAKUs) between the outrigger (called an AMA) and themain part of the canoe can be placed into different IAKU ports toachieve different settings or positions for the AMA in the differentconfigurations. In the 2-man configuration there is only one setting. Inthe 4-man configuration, there are two settings: forward and rear. Inthe 6-man configuration, there are three possible settings: forward,middle, and rear.

Turning to FIG. 1, a 2-man, 4-man and 6-man configuration of anembodiment of the present invention can be seen. The 2-man version (topconfiguration in FIG. 1) uses a 2-man,bow section 1 that splits apartfrom a common tail section 2 at a separation location 3. The AMA 4 isattached to the tail section 2 at a rear attach point 5 and a forwardattach point 6 using straight IAKUs 7. The 4-man and 6-manconfigurations use a common bow section 8 that is longer than the 2-manbow section 1. They also use the common tail section 2 that is used withall three configurations. The 4-man and 6-man configurations can use acommon AMA 9 that can be longer than the 2-man AMA 4. The 6-manconfiguration can use the same bow and tail parts as the 4-manconfiguration with an additional middle part 11. The middle part 11joins between the front and back breaks 12.

FIG. 1 shows the AMA 4 in the forward setting for the 4-man and 6-manconfigurations (with the other settings shown with dotted arrows). The4-man and 6-man configurations can optionally use a curved IAKU 10 rearas shown in FIG. 1. Any arrangement of the AMA and IAKUs (includingstraight and curved IAKUs) is within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a 6-man configuration broken apart.FIG. 2 is not drawn to scale. The IAKUs 7, 10 shown in FIG. 2 can beboth straight, curved, or one straight and the other curved. The tailsection includes a rudder 13 coupled to rudder pedals 14 in foot-wells15 controllable from a rear seat 16. Forward of the aft foot-wells 15 isa second seat 17 with its foot-wells 18. Just aft of the rear seat isthe aft (or #4) IAKU port 19. Just forward of the front foot-wells inthe tail section is the next (or #3) IAKU port 20.

The middle section, normally used only in the 6-man configuration,contains two seats 21 and two sets of foot-wells 22. There are no IAKUports on the middle section of this embodiment. The bow section of the4-man and 6-man configurations contain two seats 23, 24 and two sets offoot-wells 25, 26 (one for each seat). The bow section also contains twoIAKU ports (the #2 and #1 ports) 27, 28. The #2 IAKU port 27 is at theback of the bow section behind the rear seat. The #1 IAKU port 28 isforward of the front foot-wells. The bow section for the 2-manconfiguration (shown in FIG. 1) does not contain any seats, foot-wellsor IAKU ports.

When the 2-man configuration is used, the 2-man bow section is normallymated with the common tail section. Straight IAKUs are normally usedthat fit into the #3 and #4 IAKU ports on the tail section. The AMA hasonly one position. The rear seat 16 controls the rudder through the rearseat foot-wells 15 using rudder pedals 14.

When the 4-man configuration is used, the 4-man/6-man bow section 8 canbe directly mated to the common tail section 2. The #2 and #3 IAKU ports20, 27 end up next to each other. In the 4-man configuration in thisembodiment, the AMA 9 can have a forward and rear position. When the AMAis in the forward position, the #1 and #2 IAKU ports 19, 20 are used,and when the AMA is in the rear position, the #3 and #4 IAKU ports 27,28 are used.

The AMA 4, 9 is normally mounted on the port side of the canoe (the leftside looking from the tail toward the bow). In the 4-man configuration,the AMA can be placed in the forward position by putting the IAKUs intothe #1 and #2 IAKU ports 28, 27; it can be put in the rear position byputting the IAKUs into the #3 and #4 IAKU ports 27, 28. In the 6-manconfiguration, the AMA can be placed in the forward position by puttingthe IAKUs into the #1 and #2 IAKU ports 28, 27; it can be placed in themiddle position by putting the IAKUs into the #2 and #3 IAKU ports 27,20; and it can be placed in the rear position by putting the IAKUs intothe #3 and #4 IAKU ports 20, 19 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 also shows the method of coupling the sections together used inthis embodiment of the present invention. A rhino horn-shaped fastenerpiece 29 can be inserted into a specially shaped chamber 30 thatreceives it. This coupling piece 29 is shown more clearly in 6A; it cangenerally be made with a body of fiberglass or other rigid material 29,and a stainless steel tip 31 that is threaded and receives a lock knobor nut 32. This metal tip can be screwed into the fiberglass body of thefastener or embedded in it. This fastener piece 29 can be locked inplace using any holding method such as the preferred stainless steelthreaded stud with a lock knob or nut. When the lock knob is tightened,the sections are compressed together to form a continuous hull and deck.It should be noted that the fastener chamber is normally watertight evenwithout the fastener in it and locked down.

FIG. 3 shows a top-down view of the common tail section 2, themid-section 11, and the 4-man/6-man bow section 8, the seats andfoot-wells.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded apart view of the deck, I-beam stringer andhull in the 6-man configuration. The contour of the seats and the IAKUports can be seen. In addition, FIG. 4 shows the locations of the rhinohorn coupling parts in the 6-man configuration. In the 4-manconfiguration, only one rhino horn is used, and in the 2-manconfiguration one rhino horn is used with the common tail section andthe 2-man bow. As stated, the fasteners 29 fit into chambers 30.

FIGS. 5A-5C are a sectioned views of the three different configurations.Again, the location of the fasteners 29 and the IAKU ports for eachconfiguration can be seen.

FIGS. 6A-6C show details of the rhino horn-shaped fastener piece 29,fastener chamber 30 and I-beam stringer. The fastener 29 inserts intothe chamber 30 with its tip 31 sticking up through the deck 32. The tip31 can be any strong material, but preferably it is a threaded stainlesssteel or other metal tip. A small lock knob 33 or nut, also preferablystainless steel, can be twisted onto the threaded stainless steel tip ofthe fastener 31. Also, while a threaded stud is the preferred way ofattaching the fastener, any removable attaching means is within thescope of the present invention. In particular, snap-on or snap-lockmechanisms are possible. In addition, while the rhino horn-shapedfastener method is preferred, any method of attaching the canoe sectionstogether is within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a detail of the preferred I-beam construction of the canoeof the present invention.

Several descriptions and illustrations have been presented to aid inunderstanding the present invention. One skilled in the art will realizethat numerous changes and variations can be made within the spirit ofthe invention. Each of these changes and variations is within the scopeof the present invention.

1. A high performance multi-section outrigger racing canoe configurablefor different numbers of people comprising: a plurality of separablecanoe sections, combinable to produce a canoe for 2, 4 or 6 persons,wherein at least one of these sections is a tail section having a rudderand rudder pedal control; a plurality of fasteners coupling said canoesections together, said fasteners being inserted into each of saidsections to be coupled together, said fasteners being attached at eachend to said respective canoe section; at least one elongated outriggercoupled to said canoe sections with a pair of struts, said strutsremovably attached to said canoe sections at a plurality of differentpositions fore and aft, wherein said struts can be moved fore and aft assaid canoe is configured for 2, 4 or 6 persons.
 2. The multi-sectioncanoe of claim 1 wherein said fasteners have a threaded stainless steeltip.
 3. The multi-section canoe of claim 1 wherein said 2-man canoe isformed by coupling a first bow section to said tail section, said 4-mancanoe formed by coupling a second bow section to said tail section, said6-man canoe formed by coupling said second bow section to a middlesection and said middle section to said tail section.
 4. Themulti-section canoe of claim 1 wherein a 2-man canoe is formed bycoupling a bow section to said tail section.
 5. The multi-section canoeof claim 1 wherein a 4-man canoe is formed by coupling a bow section tosaid tail section.
 6. The multi-section canoe of claim 1 wherein a 6-mancanoe is formed by coupling a bow section to a middle section and saidmiddle section to said tail section.
 7. The multi-section canoe of claim1 wherein said struts are curved.
 8. The multi-section canoe of claim 1wherein said struts are removably attached to said outrigger.
 9. Acombination multi-person racing canoe comprising: a bow section; anoptional middle section; a tail section with a rudder; said bow sectioncoupled to said tail section or optionally to said middle section with aremovable fastener; said optional middle section, if used, coupled tosaid tail section with a removable fastener.
 10. The combinationmulti-person racing canoe of claim 9 further comprising an outrigger.11. The combination multi-person racing canoe of claim 10 wherein saidoutrigger can be mounted in a plurality of positions fore and aft. 12.The combination multi-person racing canoe of claim 9 wherein a bowsection is coupled to said tail section to form a 2-man or 4-manconfiguration, and a bow section is coupled to said middle section withsaid middle section coupled to said tail section to form a 6-manconfiguration.
 13. The combination multi-person racing canoe of claim 9wherein said sections are coupled with a fastener.
 14. The combinationmulti-person racing canoe of claim 13 wherein said fastener includes ametal tip.